SD › Paris › Hotels › L’Hôtel Review
Updated: April 12, 2022
Essentials
• Location: Left Bank location in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, just across the Seine from the Louvre.
• Hotel website: l-hotel.com
• Hotel phone: +33 1 4441 9900
• Check prices for L’Hôtel
The luxurious L’Hotel in Paris is located in historic Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
L’Hôtel – Intimate, historic five-star hotel with one of Paris’s best restaurants.
In charming St. Germain-des-Prés, the heart of the Left Bank can be found at cozy L’Hôtel, the smallest five-star hotel in Paris. Its twenty bedrooms are chic, opulent, and full of history – the hotel dates back to 1828, and the writer Oscar Wilde famously lived (and died) here. Reminders of his stay are found in his framed photos and letters displayed in the lobby, including his unpaid hotel tab. Wilde’s namesake suite is decked in ornately carved wood paneling, lush fabrics, marble-topped tables, brass lamps, and has the feel of a British gentleman’s club. The rest of the property’s rooms are distinctively elegant and feature original art, and the penthouse apartment boasts rooftop views of the city. The hotel’s intimate restaurant is Michelin-starred, and down in the basement’s natural stone vaults, the beautifully candle-lit swimming pool can be reserved by the hour.
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L’Hôtel – Location
Wonderful Left Bank location, just across the Seine from the Louvre Museum and amid the charming shops and restaurants of historic Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
- Address: 13 rue des Beaux-Arts
- Nearest metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés (0.2 mile).
- Taxi: Airport taxis to central Paris are charged at a flat rate. Fare from Charles de Gaulle Airport is €60, fare from Orly Airport is €35.
- Private Transfer: We use and recommend Welcome Pickups car service. Booking through a private car service will cost only a bit more than a taxi – about €65 from CDG and €57 from Orly, but can be worth it to avoid the long taxi queue and for the convenience of paying ahead.
L’Hôtel – The Basics
- Ages: Children are welcome but this is more of a sophisticated, grown-up hotel.
- View: Nice city views from upper (5th and 6th) floors: Paris rooftops, Louvre, Sacre Coeur. Other rooms look out onto charming Rue des Meaux Arts or the hotel’s lovely interior courtyard.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: None.
- Parking: No parking is available at the hotel.
- Pet Policy: Pets up to 20 pounds are allowed for an extra charge of €30 per pet, per night, plus an additional deposit of €30 per night.
- Extras: Complimentary breakfast. Complimentary newspapers in lobby. Lavender-scented Spring bath amenities. In-room coffee and tea.
- When to Book: This is a boutique hotel with only 20 rooms. Book months in advance, especially for high travel seasons of April to October and December.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +33 1 4441 9900
- Email: stay@l-hotel.com
- Website: l-hotel.com
L’Hôtel – Amenities
- Pool: Small, subterranean grotto pool, hammam, and steam room, available by appointment for private hourly (complimentary) rental. Open daily from 8 am to 9.30 pm.
- Spa: No spa.
- Fitness Center: No fitness center.
- For disabled guests: There’s no wheelchair access at this hotel.
- For families: Children are welcome – those under 2 years stay free in a crib, and extra beds are available for €95/night (maximum 1 per room). Babysitting services can be arranged in advance with the concierge. There are no other special amenities or activities available for kids, however, and due to L’Hôtel’s intimate nature, it’s not the best choice for families with small children
- Activities: Wonderful historic tours of the hotel are led by renowned historian and Oscar Wilde aficionado Dr. Dominique Vibrac. The hotel can also arrange personal shoppers and gift vouchers for shopping tours at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, the oldest department store in Paris.
L’Hôtel – Food and Drink
- Restaurant: L’Hôtel’s intimate Michelin-starred Le Restaurant is closed for renovations since July 2019. A new restaurant is slated to open in its place.
- Lounge/Bar: The elegant and atmospheric Wilde’s Lounge is open daily until 1 am.
- Breakfast: A complimentary continental breakfast is served each morning between 7 and 10:30 am in the bar.
- Room Service: Room service is available during restaurant hours.
L’Hôtel – Rooms
- Room Types: Mignon (standard, full bed, street view) • Bijoux (superior, king, courtyard view) • Grand (junior suite, king, street view) • Chic (deluxe double, king, courtyard view) • Oscar Wilde Suite (king, private terrace) • Apartment (king, private rooftop view terrace) • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: Non-smoking rooms available on request.
- Best Room: The rooftop apartment boasts 45 square meters of living space, and a private terrace that overlooks the rooftops of Paris and and the Saint-Germain-des-Prés bell tower.
L’Hôtel – What’s Nearby?
Best Nearby Restaurants
- Au Pied de Fouet – A very good, popular French bistro serving all the classics.
- Le Relais de L’Entrecôte – Family-friendly, lively atmosphere, and classic steak frites.
- Le Balto – Good value, family-run neighborhood bistro.
- Semilla – Modern French, ingredient-driven menu, easy-going ambiance.
- Alcazar – Trendy and lively spot with a garden-like interior and balcony bar for live music and dancing.
- Café de Flore – Go there for the ambience and history (hangout of Picasso, Sartre, Hemingway, Capote, Camus, et al). The food is fine, but overpriced.
- Huguette Bistro de la Mer – Stop at this lively indoor/outdoor spot for seafood á la Francaise. The oysters are particularly good.
- Little Breizh – Authentic, Brittany crêpes with some creative extras. Affordable and delicious.
- Shu – Intimate underground restaurant seving excellent Japanese cuisine.
- Yoshinori – Japanese chef plus French gastronomy equals a very refined and delicious, 1 Michelin star dining experience. And the servers are delightful.
- Le Procope – Beautiful brasserie on a quaint cobbled street, and also the oldest restaurant in Paris.
- Ippudo Saint-Germain – Great ramen, reasonably priced.
- Le Comptoir – Intimate art deco bistro dining at its finest with lots of innovative twists.
- L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre – Lively bar seating and outrageously good tapas and small plates make this a fun and yummy stop.
Best Nearby Bars & Breweries
- Chez Papa – New York style jazz bar. Opens at 9 pm and often sways on till dawn.
- Prescription Cocktail Club – Great cocktails at this hole-in-the-wall speakeasy-ish spot. No sign on the door – look for no. 23.
- Freddy’s – Elegant wine/tapas bar the Rue de Seine.
- The Highlander – Two-story pub with 80 whiskies and classic Scottish ales and stouts.
- The Frog & Princess – Fun microbrewery on a lively drinking street, great for watching sports.
- Tiger – There is a huge selection of top-quality spirits (especially gin) at this chic cocktail bar.
- The Cod House – The coolest cocktail bar around, with lots of exotic additions like pisco, sake, and a side of Japanese tapas.
- Le Cavern Club – Tiny underground dance club near Pont Neuf.
Best Nearby Cafes
- La Palette – Mingle with fashion industry folks and the ghosts of Cézanne and Georges Braques on the lovely terrace of this historic café.
- Les Deux Magots – Historic hang-out of Hemingway and Sartre. Charming atmosphere, delicious croque monsieur.
- Mariage Frères – World-famous tea house/shop with over 800 varieties to choose from – and excellent food, too.
Nearby Shopping & Cool Shops
- Finger in the Nose – Very Parisian clothing for kids.
- Le Dêpot-Vente de Buci – Consignment shop for high-end designer clothing. A bit of a treasure trove but very snooty.
- La Derniér Goutte – Fantastic selection of estate-bottled, mostly organic wines from small French producers.
- Arnaud Larher – Amazing pastries and chocolates, almost too pretty to eat.
- Maison Beaufrere – The most beautiful bouquets and flower arrangements in Paris. Inside the Marché Saint Germain.
- Maison Bremond 1830 – Great source for foodie gifts, especially from the South of France. Artisanal French olive oils, olive wood bowls, and regional food specialties.
- Maison du Whisky – Hundreds of whiskeys and fine spirits from around the world.
- Patrick Roger – One of the best chocolate makers in France as well as a talented sculptor. His art gallery is upstairs.
- Shakespeare & Company – Legendary English language bookstore that was a favorite of Hemmingway, Ginsburg, and Burroughs.
- Marché aux Fleurs Reine Elizabeth II – Gorgeous flower market that becomes a bird market on Sundays.
Nearby Markets or Grocery Stores
- Rue de Buci – A street chock-full of a great variety of food vendors (meat, cheese, seafood, bread, fruits, and vegetables) as well as patisseries, wine shops, and a supermarket.
- Citypharma – Pharmacy selling medications, first aid supplies, and French beauty products.
- Marché St-Germain – Traditional street market with stalls selling quality fruits, vegetables, flowers, meat, and seafood.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
- Church of St Germain-des-Prés – One of the most beautiful churches in Paris with a gorgeously painted interior.
- Pont des Arts – Pedestrian bridge across the Seine that leads to the Louvre.
- Boulevard St. Germain – A major boulevard that’s lively and surrounded by great shops and restaurants.
- The Louvre Museum – One of the finest art museums in the world housing masterpieces including the Mona Lisa.
- Saint-Suplice – Ancient-feeling church with interesting stained glass; it made an appearance in Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code.
- Place Dauphine – Beautiful historic square, with several peaceful cafes and restaurants.
- Luxembourg Gardens and Palace – Fine gardens, ornamental ponds, and a grand palace and museum make this a top Paris sight.
- Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe – Theater with a lot of history, and member of the Union of the Theatres of Europe. Sumptuous interior.
- Musée D’Orsay – Holds one of the best collections of impressionist works in the world and is housed in a stunning building that once served as a train station.
L’Hôtel – The Hotel
The entrance of L’Hotel in chic Saint Germain de Prés is understated.
There’s a commemorative historic plaque at the the exterior of the hotel marking Oscar Wilde’s death here in 1900.
Rooms all surround the gorgeous round staircase.
The round center of the ground floor has beautiful tiling and ornate features.
Check-in is discrete and you can take it slow in the cozy lobby.
A well-stocked bar awaits near the lobby.
Enjoy a cocktail in the library – Oscar Wilde would approve.
The ground floor has lots of communal spaces, all decorated with original art pieces.
Each room has its own unique and sumptuous décor.
Street views put you in the heart of one of the most agreeable districts of Paris.
Bathrooms differ from room to room, but all include a mix of fine marble.
The smallest (17 square meters) Mignon rooms don’t lack any of the decorating flair of the larger rooms.
Larger rooms have sitting areas and are very livable.
The 18-square-meter Bijoux rooms have courtyard views.
The lower level rooms let you peek out and people watch on the street below.
The central spiral staircase has a punch of style via animal print carpet.
You can get lost in the details of this fabulous old building and the whimsical colors.
Another bathroom, this time is green marble, showing how different each room can be.
Despite the sometimes over the top décor, there are always spaces that feel like home.
It’s a lovely 10-minute walk through lanes to get to atmospheric Église Saint-Suplice that was featured in The DaVinci Code, even though the details in the book aren’t historically accurate.
This 7-minute walk across the Seine to get to the Louvre Museum is a highlight – suffice to say that getting there is a lot of fun.
View from Pont des Arts towards Pont Neuf.
Don’t miss the intricately painted interior of the Church of Saint-Germain-de-Prés.
It’s a dreamy walk along the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay, that holds some of the finest impressionist works in the world in a grand old train station.
Turn right out the door and then make your first left and you’ll arrive at La Palette, a perfect sidewalk hangout, in 3 minutes.
Go down Rue de Seine for several minutes to Blvd Saint-Germain, turn left, then make your second right to find the very popular L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre restaurant.
Away from the river down Rue de Seine, walk a few minutes before turning right on the small lane of rue de l’Echaudé. La Derniér Goutte, a lovely wine shop is on the corner 2 blocks from here.
Five-minutes towards the Seine on rue Bonaparte leads to this rather perfect Parisian café, Les Deux Magots.
Four minutes of walking down Rue de Seine and you’re at one of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, Semilla.
Kids wrecked all of their clothes? They’ll be trés chic after some shopping at this little boutique only a 4-minute walk down rue de la Seine.
Take the rue de Seine, then turn right on the rue de l’Echaudé, and walk 2 blocks before turning right on rue de Bourbon du Château to find this trove of used haute couture pieces for women.
Away from the Seine on Rue de Seine sits this great seafood spot, Huguette Bistro de la Mer, only 5 minutes from the hotel.
Michelin-starred French cuisine with a Japanese twist awaits at Yoshinori, down the mellow Rue de Seine and then a block off of lively Blvd Saint-Germaine – a total of 8 minutes from the hotel.
The crêpes at Little Breizh on Rue Grégoire de Tours, a block farther than rue de Seine, are a great light meal, and it only takes 6 minutes to get here.
This tiny bookshop was once the haunt of the Belle Epoch literary scene, so literally follow in their footsteps by taking a 15-minute walk along the banks of the Seine to get there.
Some of the best cocktails you may ever imbibe are a 9-minute walk away at The Cod House, down rue de Seine, across Blvd Saint-Germaine and down Rue de Condé.
It’s not easy getting a table but it’s sure easy to get here: Take Rue de Seine to Blvd Saint-Germain, turn left, then take your second right to the Carrefour de l’Odeon where Le Comptoir, an art deco bistro, sits.
Those wanting to get groovy till dawn should go down rue Bonaparte to the Jazz Club. Good news: it’s only a 3-minute stumble back home.
It’s an easy 3-minute walk to this classic Parisian spot, Au Pied de Fouet, down rue Bonaparte.
Don’t miss the game or meeting others to clink glasses with while it’s on – get thee to Frog & Princess, an 8-minute ramble down rue Bonaparte.
One of the best drinking spots on a drinking street, Tiger is an 8-minute walk down rue Bonaparte to rue Princess. Check rates and availability: L’Hotel
Paris Hotels – Tips and Recommendations
- Best Luxury Hotels in Paris: Shangri-La (old world Paris charm) • Four Seasons George V (5-star luxury)
- Best Boutique Hotels in Paris: Relais Christine (small romantic boutique) • Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal (great central location)
- Best Mid-range Hotel in Paris: Hotel Emile (trendy, central, and fun)
- Paris Hotels with Balcony: Mandarin Oriental • Pullman Tour Eiffel • Le 12 • Hotel Residence Foch • Holiday Inn Notre Dame • Hotel Ekta Champs Elysées • The Peninsula (the garden suite is incredible)
- Paris Hotels with Pool: Le Bristol • Mandarin Oriental • Le Burgundy • Saint James Albany • Shangri-La • The Peninsula • Four Seasons
- Paris Hotels with Kitchen: Fraser Suites Le Claridge Champs-Elysées • La Clef Tour Eiffel • Splendide Royal • Residence Henri IV • Saint James Albany • Citadines Les Halles • Le Patio Bastille • Le Marais Hôtel De Ville
- Paris Hotels with Views of Eiffel Tower: Hotel Plaza Athenee • Pullman Tour Eiffel • Le Parisis • Hôtel Brighton • Shangri-La • Westin Vendôme
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